Ludum Dare 49: Engineering highlights from the jam's top entries
Ludum Dare 49 wrapped with nearly 3,000 entries, and the usual mix of platformers and puzzlers is well represented. But digging into the results also surfaces some engineering outliers: a title that targets the original NES, one built on a custom C++ engine, and a shooter that can render to an oscilloscope. Here’s a look at the technical variety in the jam’s highest-rated, source-available games.
Godot and GDScript entries
Warhead Stroll (play, source) puts you in control of Old Roger, whose head is a nuclear bomb, as he walks his dog across town. The project is built with Godot and GDScript and runs on Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Mission Control (play, source) tasks you with reaching every planet in the solar system while dealing with an unstable signal. Relay stations keep your connection alive; the codebase is Godot with GDScript, shipping to the Web.
Super Misfire (play, source) puts you behind a malfunctioning quantum supergun that fires at unintended targets. Progress through a dungeon of enemies in this Godot/GDScript entry available on Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Dogs++ (play, source) is a puzzle platformer about stacking an unstable tower of dogs on your head. Despite the name, the implementation is TypeScript, not C++, and runs in the browser.
Unity and C# projects
Plains in the Sky (play, source) is a Unity/C# arcade defense game: wipe out snake invaders from your sky plains using a cannon. It’s a Web build from the Unity editor.
Unstable Revisions (play, source) is a second Unity/C# Web entry in this list; the twist mechanics are built on the jam theme of instability.
Don’t Drop It! (play, source) is a Unity/C# physics puzzle where you drag a primed bomb to safety. It is unusually portable for a jam entry, covering Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
Unscrambler (play, source) is a Unity/C# word puzzler: reconstruct a word from its shuffled chemical element symbols. Runs on Web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Fractured Edge (play, source) is a fast 6-degrees-of-freedom corridor shooter in Unity/C#. Grab power-ups, fight the final boss, and if you have an oscilloscope at home, the game supports rendering to it. An emulator is bundled for the rest of us.
C, C++, and Rust
Dream Dog Dilemma (play, source) is an action/puzzle game written in C and compiled for the Nintendo NES/Famicom. The source is a lesson in constrained targets: cartridge memory, the NES’s PPU, and strict CPU cycles all come into play.
There’s legitimate low-level competence in that codebase.
Airobics (play, source) is a C++ air-traffic-control sim where you route planes across three locations without collisions. Runs on Web and Windows, all from native code compiled to the browser.
Last Fall (play, source) is an arcade puzzler packed with colorful plates, bouncy enemies, and endless space. Its notable engineering feature is the engine: a custom C++ engine rather than an off-the-shelf framework. Runs on Web, Windows, and Linux.
Brimstone (play, source) is a C++ game where you play fire that destroys everything it contacts. Windows and Linux builds are available.
Crunda (play, source) has you jumping between planetary gravity wells. It’s written in Rust and targets Windows only.
JavaScript builds
Raiders of the Lost Gems (play, source) is a tiny puzzle adventure in plain JavaScript collecting gems for a trophy. Plays on Web plus Windows, macOS, and Linux through the browser.
Unstable98.exe (play, source) is a JavaScript Web puzzle about running a fictional Minesweeper.exe under hostile conditions. Apply careful force, and a helpful paperclip may appear.
More in the jam
This is only a slice of the top-rated entries that published their code. The complete ranked list is on the Ludum Dare website. The 50th edition starts April 1, 2022 and coincides with the event’s 20th anniversary. If 72 hours is too tight, the GitHub Game Off runs from November 1 and gives you a month.
